Brick-and-mortar office requirements are relaxed for state's lawyers

The Supreme Court of New Jersey has adopted an amendment that allows lawyers to practice from virtual offices—within a set of approved guidelines.

While the amendment acknowledges the profession’s increased reliance on technology to communicate with clients and will no doubt ease the burden of costly permanent offices for many lawyers, the court’s actions appear to overlook a 2010 opinion of its ethic advisory committee which said a virtual office was not a bona fide office, the Record reports.

The court has asked its Professional Responsibility Rules Committee to review certain rules that refer to the bona fide office requirement, including a provision that requires lawyers licensed in other states to maintain a traditional office if they practice in New Jersey, according to Bloomberg BNA.